It won’t surprise anyone living or drinking here, but a new analysis released Monday found Colorado in rarified air when it comes to the craft brewing industry’s economic impact nationally.

The report from the Boulder-based Brewers Association found small, independent craft breweries contributed $33.9 billion to the U.S. economy in 2012. Colorado ranked No. 5 among states in economic output, at $1.6 billion, and No. 2 in per capita output for the over-21 population, just behind Oregon.

No other state cracked the top five in both categories.

“The numbers are amazing,” said Steve Kurowski, marketing director for the Colorado Brewers Guild, which promotes and lobbies for the industry. “There’s no denying the numbers are great. We know as an industry that craft beer is here to stay. These numbers prove our legitimacy as an industry and a community.”

The study sought to capture the economic impact of craft beer at each point in the supply chain, including craft breweries, craft beer wholesalers and retailers that sell craft beer, the BA said. The numbers also include food sales at brewpubs – a relatively small part of the picture – as well as indirect economic factors such as purchasing barley, brewing and bottling equipment, and hiring marketing firms.

The brewery data came from two national surveys conducted by the Brewers Association of its members; Colorado had 151 craft breweries in 2012 for the purposes of the survey.

Last April, a Colorado Brewers Guild-sponsored analysis of craft brewing’s economic impact on Colorado painted a more modest economic picture. That report conducted by the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado at Boulder using data from 2011 projected a $446 million economic impact.

At least on the surface, the studies share similarities in that both took into account breweries, wholesalers, retailers and other indirect and induced economic impacts, Kurowski said.

Kurowski said it is unclear at this point how the studies reached such different conclusions separated by just a year, but that both are positive and underscore the industry’s economic contributions to the state. The guild is working on releasing fresher numbers of its own next year, he said.

According to the BA study released Monday, here were the top five states in raw economic output in 2012:

Bart Watson, the staff economist for the Brewers Association, cited a couple of reasons for the strong showing beyond Colorado’s large number of breweries per capita. For one, the state’s brewing culture is well established going back more than two decades, giving it a leg up. Second, Colorado exports a lot of craft beer, fueled by the presence of national brands like New Belgium Brewing and Oskar Blues.

“You can’t draw a hard and fast rule, but when you look at the impact per capita numbers, the states that are higher on the list are the ones exporting craft beer to other states,” Watson said. “Not only do we have wonderful small and truly hyperlocal breweries, but larger breweries are producing not only for Colorado but for other states.”

We’ve covered other reasons for Colorado’s craft beer success, from the presence of the Great American Beer Festival and pioneers like Charlie Papazian to the pristine water and state laws that make it relatively easy for breweries to open tasting rooms that are important revenue sources.

Watson notes Colorado’s economic impact would have been even greater if the study had taken into account money spent by breweries in planning.

Other note-worthy stats we gleaned from the new BA report:

– Colorado ranks fifth nationally in full-time employees (19,251) working in the craft beer industry and in jobs created in a ripple effect, the BA said. That includes employees at craft breweries, wholesalers, retailers and other jobs created by the craft beer industry.
– Don’t get into craft beer to get rich. In Colorado, the average wage at craft breweries was $36,148.94. That’s well below the estimated $47,510 annual salary brought in by Colorado workers in 2011.
– If you’re looking to plant a new brewery in an under-served (or challenging) market, among the states with the smallest impact were Idaho, Wyoming, the Dakotas, Arkansas, Alabama and West Virginia.

Our new iPad app serves as a guide to metro Denver’s bountiful breweries, beer bars and bottle shops, the holy trinity of craft beer enjoyment for followers and fans. Download the app for iPad .
Next time you head for a beer in Boulder, don’t forget your friend, Beers of Boulder and Boulder County, an iPad app from the Daily Camera. Download the app for iPad .

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In Colorado, our pint glasses overflow with excellent beer. New breweries, new batches, festivals every other week. How lucky are we? First Drafts is The Denver Post's beer blog aimed at helping you keep tabs on the state's ever-expanding craft beer culture. We offer a mash of news, event coverage, homegrown stories, tasting notes and tips to help you imbibe. Expert drinker or homebrewer? Let us know what you're loving about Colorado's beer scene. Not sure exactly what a firkin is? No worries, let us be your guide. Go ahead. Belly up and drink it in!